NJ Council for the Humanities

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Honoring a passionate and unwavering advocate for the public humanities.
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

THE STANLEY N. KATZ PRIZE

Founded in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Council, the Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in Public Humanities will be awarded annually beginning in 2022.

DONATE TO THE KATZ PRIZE FUND

 

NOMINATE A PROJECT

 

The award will recognize an organization which has demonstrated significant engagement with and impact through community-focused public humanities work in New Jersey.

“NJCH's longtime leader, Stan Katz, helped shape the Council as an organization that works with scholars across disciplines to serve the New Jersey public, recognizing that public humanities help us bridge divides, promote civic engagement, and give a voice to all members of our society. In this important moment for the public humanities, we hope naming our award honors his commitment to public humanities and ensures a better future for our communities." - Dan Fatton, NJCH Board Chair

ABOUT STAN
Stanley N. Katz devoted 37 years to the board of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

Stanley N. Katz is the Council's longest-serving board member. In his wide-ranging career, he defied all the conventional trajectories that a career in the humanities entails. An esteemed faculty member, he spent most of his career teaching at Princeton, where he has been beloved by students and colleagues for more than four decades; Stan also was one of the leaders of the national humanities community as president of the American Council of Learned Societies. An elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, among many other honors, he has also served on numerous nonprofit boards in and beyond the public humanities.

In all of these roles, Stan has been a passionate and unwavering advocate for the public humanities, furthering them through innovative collaborations between the world of formal scholarship and the world of the public humanities, while defending both enterprises at the national level. And in each of the many humanities communities he inhabited, he built productive networks of people who admired him for his brains, kindness, and good humor. For his contributions as a brilliant scholar, teacher, advocate, and public historian President Barack Obama honored him in 2011 with the National Humanities Medal, the capstone of an exceptional and unique career.

In 2010, Stanley N. Katz was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama. The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens' engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects. Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year.

INAUGURAL AWARD

The inaugural Katz Prize for Excellence in the Public Humanities will be awarded, annually, beginning in 2022.

The prize, which is awarded in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Council’s founding, will recognize an organization whose work has had a significant impact on their community, has successfully incorporated humanistic scholarship and methods, and has demonstrated innovative approaches to a topic or question of importance to New Jersey communities. That work could take any number of forms—a book, an exhibition, an event or series of events—and will be evaluated by a panel of peers for its impact.

KATZ PRIZE FUND GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in contributing to the Stanley N. Katz Prize Fund?

Click here to make a donation.

Your generosity will help to further the work of the public humanities in New Jersey while honoring the many contributions Stan Katz has made to the field. Please consider participating in one of the Katz Prize Fund Giving Levels.

Giving Levels

With your support, we can honor Stan's significant work in the public humanities and the impact of the historical, cultural, and educational organizations in New Jersey.

Interested in making a pledge or a donation via check and standard mail?  To download the Katz Prize pledge/donation form, click here.

Questions about gifts involving stock transfers, EFT, property, or other contribution options? Contact us at donations@njhumanities.org or 609.695.4838.

KATZ PRIZE DONOR LISTING
The Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in the Public Humanities celebrates the contributions of New Jersey organizations that harness the power of the public humanities to create opportunities for connection and engagement among community members.

Launched in fall 2021, the Katz Prize Fund campaign is now underway, heading towards a goal of $150,000.

KATZ PRIZE FUND COMMITTEE MEMBERS

We'd like to extend our sincerest thanks to the members of the Katz Prize Fund committee members.

Katz Prize Fund Committee Members

Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Cornelia Dayton, Ph.D.
Sarah Barringer Gordon, J.D., Ph.D.
Doug Greenberg, Ph.D., Chair
James Grossman, Ph.D.
Kiki Jamieson, Ph.D.
Arnita Jones, Ph.D.
Michael Klein, J.D., Ph.D.
Michael Robertson, Ph.D.
Rayman Solomon, J.D., Ph.D.
Steven Wheatley, Ph.D.
Jamil Zainaldin, Ph.D.

Without the work and dedication of this group of humanists, the Stanley N. Katz Prize for Excellence in the Public Humanities would not be possible. Thank you for your efforts!

1/13/22 EVENT RECORDING - "Engaging the Public and Shaping Civic Life" with Stan Katz

"Engaging the Public and Shaping Civic Life," the kickoff community conversation for our 50th anniversary campaign, was a resounding success! Featuring Dr. Stanley Katz of Princeton University and Dr. Christopher Fisher of The College of New Jersey, the discussion about public humanities in New Jersey was enjoyed by dozens of friends of Council.

Interested in accessing the recording?  Click the link to access it on the NJCH YouTube channel.

EVENT RECORDING - Engaging the Public and Shaping Civic Life, hosted on Thursday, January 13, 2022

Each month, NJCH will host special 50th anniversary programming.  Click here to register for any of our upcoming events.

OVER THE YEARS: PHOTOS OF STAN
Stan's contributions to the public humanities are countless.

"I was committed to the humanities as an undergraduate student, although I could not have defined “humanities” at the time. I instinctively gravitated to the fields of knowledge that dealt with human values, and although I have changed my field of study repeatedly, the constant in my life is that all the fields are humanistic. I am interested in the reasons why people make the important choices in their lives, and that is the concern of the humanist." - Stan Katz





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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS!

In 2022, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities will celebrate its 50th anniversary. You’re invited to join us as we reflect on the work of the Council throughout the past five decades. Our anniversary campaign will provide opportunities to reflect on and celebrate the history of the Council to better inform how to harness the power of the public humanities to strengthen our present and future society.

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CONTACT

Physical: 336 Friends Street Camden, NJ 08102
Mailing: PO Box 3287, Camden, NJ 08101

609.695.4838

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© 2022 · New Jersey Council for the Humanities · Site Credits · Accessibility · Design & Development by // DESIGN AGENCY //

  • ABOUT
    ▼
    • Mission
    • Impact
    • Staff and Interns
    • Board
    • Katz Prize
    • Strategic Plan
    • Accessibility
  • EVENTS
    ▼
    • 50th Monthly Events
    • 50th Anniversary Gala
  • GRANTS
    ▼
    • Grants Overview
    • Funded Projects
    • For Grantees
  • PROGRAMS
    ▼
    • Community Conversations
    • Community History
    • Democracy and the Informed Citizen
    • In the Weeds
    • Museum on Main Street
  • NEWS
  • DONATE
Learn more about the Katz Prize
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